Melinda Slade

Years ago I tried about 20 different Chinese restaurants all over town and I never found one that I really liked. So I basically quit going to Chinese restaurants unless I was traveling and had a trusted local recommend one to me.

There is a new shopping center about 10 minutes from my house that has a new Chinese restaurant in it. I decided to give them a try and I was happily surprised to find a large buffet and everything was delicious. Lunch was under $10, including drink and tip. I will be back!

Every time I have been to Florida I have seen flamingos and alligators. They are everywhere. There are even people who put pink plastic flamingos in their yards as decoration. Now that I think of it, outside of Florida, I have never seen a flamingo in anyone’s yard.

I’m not one of those people that hates Mondays but when they are rainy days and Monday, yeah I’m not all that thrilled about them.  Nothing starts the week off worse than a dreary, rainy Monday.  Now if it’s sun shining and it’s Monday, doesn’t phase me at all.  It’s just the lack of sun and the rain on top of it that totally ruins my Monday!!!

Here’s a story that some of you might have gotten by email.  Just in case you didn’t get it or haven’t see it before, I really wanted to include it in my blog because random acts of kindness aren’t shown very often.

Meredith and Abbey

This is one of the kindest things you may ever see. It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies..’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey &Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog.. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by…

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I’m easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,

God